Friday, February 15, 2008

For all you folks wanting further evidence that Brad Warner is, indeed, The Porno Buddhist (I need to trademark that, it could make a good book title some day) and deserves to be made a laughing stock throughout all Buddhism, here is a photo from last night's big Suicide Girls bash on behalf of PETA 2. Yes, it's PETA 2 and not PETA. Don't ask me the difference because I don't know. I'm crap with names. But here's what my Zen-addled mind can cough up. The woman in red who I've got my arm around is Arabia, just behind her dressed in black is Aspen, who regularly attends our Zazen classes in Santa Monica and the woman whose left eye and left shoulder appear on the far left is Sam, another attendee of the Saturday Zazen things.

The party was loud. And I didn't stay too long because Aspen was my ride up there and needed to work the next day. This was fine by me since I'm not a late night dude anyway. I had fun for the hour or so I was out at the Roxy. But I just don't have the whole party animal thing going. So an hour was plenty. Sam was part of the fashion show, which consisted mainly of lingerie and fake fur. But no fake fur lingerie, which would have been interesting. My friend Cake was also part of the fashion show. But, sadly, I wasn't able to flag her down before we left. Cake, if you're reading this, no offense was intended.

I want to write something profound. But maybe not tonight. So just enjoy the picture and make up your own story about what went on before and after it was taken.

68 comments:

nancy
said...

Here is my take.. Your wife is absolutely incredible to put up with all this. she must have no insecurities at all. You, on the other hand, come off as incredibly insensitive. what does marriage mean to a Buddhist? Why even bother..

Brad, your whole trip is real cool, but let's face it, it really doesn't have that much to do with being a Zen master with all the purple robe thing, so why don't you just give up that whole pretend schtick? Everyone would be totally OK with you founding your own religion and everything but it's a little bit much that you're tying whatever your bullshit trip is to Zen.

hey im in the middle of reading your book. nice work so far, i wouldnt put it down 'cept im studying for my nursing midterms at the moment and in the middle of pathophysiology and the chapter about sress management ( funny how things work out) i currently find myself drunk enough to leave a comment. it will still take me a while to wrap my mind around everything, sometimes i agree with you, sometimes i dont, but i apprectiate the mark you are making. suicide girls and peta are rad. ill be back. \m/. just curious to know what you listen to these days. refused are fuckin dead is my fav song today.

But if you don't give a damn about zazen and you show up just to stare at dharma babes, I swear by the little wooden buddha on the altar I will bounce your broken ass out into the street. Come prepared to practice.

omg! Fibers glowing different colors in a mosaic from a distance looks like a bunch of people then one guy and a bunch of girls then associations with those labels in memory then associations with that particular guy and memories and evaluation memories of what that guy has done in the past.

Brad is a classic example of how the power of celebrity turns you into an insufferable cunt. When he came on the scene in any big way about 5 years ago, he was putting a lot of practical, down to earth teachings out there and talking in a funny but straightforward way that removed a lot of the obfuscation that traditionally accompanies Zen. Sure, he seemed a bit beholden to Nishimjima's authority, and sure, he was a little condescending, but he was a real breath of fresh air.

Then he gets semi-famous and suddenly he's acting like a jackass. He arrogantly attacks other teachers, but can take no criticism himself. He attacks other religions and philosophies as sources of conflict and authority but dishonestly pretends Zen is above all that. He keeps mouthing platitudes against authority and blind acceptance while accepting a core of admirers who hang on his words and defend and agree with everything he says. He calls his opinions in conversations "teachings", which is the height of douchebaggery, frankly. He constantly drops references to celebrities he hangs with and makes sure everyone knows that he's cool, and the beautiful people love him. He goes to stripper parties and then is like "What's the big deal? It's totally Buddhist to support the sex industry and party all night. But you can get offended if you want, it just shows how lame you are and how enlightened I am." In other words, Brad is turning into Chogyam Trungpa.

The same way Brad called Trungpa, and Ram Dass, and Alan Watts, and Cohen, and Wilbur, and plenty of others, out on their bullshit, I call Brad on his bullshit. He said you can't separate a teacher from his teachings; I agree. When you act like an obnoxious jerk and show about as much continence as a dog in heat, that's your business. When you're in every big bookstore in America telling people that this is the true dharma and they need to be down with it, people should confront that. It's not cos Brad's just too cool and we're too hung up on his private life and need to chill, I would say it's a similar impulse to the one Brad had when he rightfully took very public issue with shit like Zig Zag Zen, back before success put his head up his ass.

Looking forward to all Brad's groupies telling me how much more enlightened Brad is or saying some inapplicable Zen parable to pwn me.

Jundo at Tree leaf had a good one today. Who could he be talking about?

====================

Here is my philosophy, in my own words ...

Do not confuse true independence with being unable to settle or connect ...

Do not confuse moving freely with wandering aimlessly ...

Do not confuse creative iconoclasm with drunken smashing ...

Do not confuse direct teaching and speaking with crude words and rudeness ...

Do not confuse honest opinion with angry expressions ...

Do not confuse balance with instability ...

Do not confuse drive with greed ...

Do not confuse inner fire with meaningless fireworks ...

Do not confuse steady emotions with being unemotional ...

Do not confuse love and sex with lust and ugliness ...

Do not confuse politeness with false or insincere manners ...

Do not confuse being kind and gentle toward people with being weak ...

Do not confuse being meek & mild in manner with lacking an iron core ...

Do not confuse being steadily focused with having wild swings of intensity ...

Do not confuse being pious and clear with insincere morality ...

etc. etc. etc.

Know the difference.

I wrote the following to a newcomer to Buddhism recently ...

Quote:

Buddhism is not about doing whatever you want, or whatever is pleasing. Our way is one that is helpful, loving and healthful in body and mind, for ourself and others (not two, by the way). You cannot be an "insulting and angry against people Buddhist." Sorry. It's like being a doctor who poisons his patients, a peace activist who shoots anyone who disagrees with him. It does not compute. While it is fine to be righteously angry against injustice or the fake, hypocritical, deceiving, harmful or the like in society or in the Buddhist world, it is not to be either angery against people or filled with undirected anger at the world. Know the difference..

It is okay to point out bullshit. But make sure your bullshit pointing is itself not bullshit.

That's my philosophy for all the "angry Buddhists" You don't like it, go grumble in your cave.

mysterion said,"torture people by denying them access to medical care".

Huh?

That might make sense in the context ofCIA interrogators and their victims,but, in general...

Not paying for someone else's medical caredoes not equaltorturing them.

If you believe otherwise, mysterion,you are more than welcome to pay mydoctor for my medical care. (If youdo not pay my doctor, then, by yourlogic, you are torturing me -- ormaybe I should say that you aretorturing me with your "logic" ;)

---

Perhaps the American Medical Associationshould be watched by Amnesty International.

In the US, only 16,000 new people per yearare allowed to study medicine at 126 medicalschools; thus the AMA controls the supply ofdoctors in the US.

By controlling the supply of doctors,the AMA artificially raises the price ofmedical care, allowing doctors to livevery nicely and 47 million uninsuredothers to live not so nicely.

If you have a problem, then YOU have a problem. I'm happy to see Brad's teachings really touching the nerves of YOUR problems. That is the teaching of revealing the 10,000 things. Pay attention! The hindrances reveal themselves.

Of Brad, mountaintop rebel wrote that he was originally "putting a lot of practical, down to earth teachings out there and talking in a funny but straightforward way that removed a lot of the obfuscation that traditionally accompanies Zen."

Well said. I've tried to figure out what it is I like about Brad's writing, and that's it exactly. Gary Gach also has the ability to say in plain language I can relate to what exactly it is that he finds valuable in this practice, but I prefer Brad's style most of the time.

With that said, some of what Jundo said in the quoted comment above gives me pause. Am I a fan of Brad or a fan of his teaching? I think there is value in the teaching that is separate and apart from the teacher. Brad can flip, flop, fly or flee at this point and I'll keep sitting zazen, but I'm still interested in hearing his take on the dharma.

I think the problem is that for most of us the only "contact" we have with Brad is filtered through his writing. I'm beginning to wonder how much his writing really is representative of who he is and what he's teaching.

Brad is a classic example of how the power of celebrity turns you into an insufferable cunt.

If you really think this, why complain or get upset? How he behaves is going to catch up with him. Just sit back and watch Brad crash and burn.

Brad's power to do or accomplish anything is limited to the assent that others give him. It's a voluntary association of like minded people. Nothing to worry about. Not your problem. Unless you make it so.

Anonymous said... mysterion said,"torture people by denying them access to medical carebr/>Not paying for someone else's medical care does not equal torturing them.

I did not say anything about paying someone else's medical bill. I was speaking in overall philosophy not myopic self-interest.

Who builds hospitals and clinics? Doctors? (Nope - the community). Who builds schools, colleges, and universities? Students? (Nope - the community). Who builds the roads and bridges over which one must travel to get to schools, colleges, universities, and clinics and hospitals? The municipal bus company? (Nope - the community).

Sorry, but on final analysis, it takes a village idiot to vote for a libertarian.

Roads, hospitals, schools are indeedwonderful public goods, but if theyare built by slaves then they arenot so good.

Taxes which are extracted underthreat of torture are just anotherform of slavery (albeit more abstractand thus more difficult for some, suchas yourself, to clearly see).

A "community" which forces individualsto participate is corrupt to the verycore. You'll have to find somevoluntary way to pay for those roads,hospitals, and schools, otherwise youare just another mafia thug.

Rather than calling people names outof arrogant ignorance, you might wantto consider educating yourself. Theeconomics of nonviolence is somethingthat might be of interest to those whoclaim to live according to Buddhistprinciples. Here's a good place to start:

Two monks came to the river where a girl wanted to get across. The senior monk picked her up and carried her across the river and set her down. The monks continued their journey. Several hours later the junior monk said to the senior monk - I thought we weren't supposed to have contact with women. To which, the other monk replied - I set her down hours ago, are you still carrying her?

Zen teachers (or anyone and any experience, I suppose) are supposed to act as mirrors so that we can see our own reflections. Whether Brad is virtuous or vituperrious shouldn't seem to matter much, since our own learning lies in the clarity with which we see the mirror, not the clarity with which the mirror reflects. While I agree that Zen teachers (or anyone for that matter) shouldn't purposefully mislead people, it is ultimately our responsibility to verify what we are taught.

I believe the Kalama Sutra ultimately sums up the spirit of Buddha's original teachings far better than anything else. A version can be found here:

Brad is a classic example of how the power of celebrity turns you into an insufferable cunt. ...

Then he gets semi-famous and suddenly he's acting like a jackass. He arrogantly attacks other teachers, but can take no criticism himself.

He's always had that tendency. Having followed Brad's web presence since long before his first book came out, I know for a fact that his writing has calmed way down over the years. I can't imagine where you got the opposite idea. Maybe you're comparing Hardcore Zen, the book, to his current web stuff? But that's apples and oranges; HCZ was filtered through editors.

But I liked to be spanked. I like to be the spanker sometimes. I like it when my girlfriend bites my nipple really hard. When I orgasm and my girl slaps my face and bites my chest I like it. I like to lick her feet. I like to lick her ass and vice versa.

And why does going to a PETA2 fundraiser equal insensitivity to marriage? Brad indicated nowhere that he was flirting or "misusing sexuality" in any way. He simply showed us a picture with some people who are essentially his coworkers. It's funny the impressions people get from this blog. If you actually came and sat some Saturday, you'd probably have a very different impression of him. ( I guess the zen thing to say now is: ) That impression would still be an illusion though.

Its really painful to see some of the comments people think are useful to post on your blog. I think its a brave thing you do on this blog and I admire you for it. I am very curious as to how it will develop. I admire that you take your detractors on directly(as if Zen could do it any other way). I wouldn't practice the path of (mahayana, I suppose)Zen if I didn't think it wasn't available to every human being and I don't know how some can think that only certain 'pure people' or 'pure situations' can be considered 'Zen'.

Your first book was able to break through to me while I was living on a hippy commune in Oregon because you seemed similar enough to me that I was intrigued because I trusted you. I am very thankful for that, its brought me worlds farther away from my misery. I'm from Cincinnati, OH which has its own set of problems but still shares the Ohio mentality of 'get out get out or sell out'.

So anyway, for many the internet is anonymity to say whatever they like without any repercussions(or so they think) so don't let that get you down. For those who try to level 'deeper' criticisms I think you are walking a unique path and and only you can truly assess yourself. Walking in the middle you unfortunately take flack from 'purists' and 'punks'.

Yeah, others are divisive but Brad's boss Spooky is a ray of fucking sunshine.

"I just said that all the Palestinians dying of smallpox is hopeful thinking for me. Sue me. It's a death cult not a civilization and them finally being wiped out by their buddy Saddam sounds like such a fitting end."

Hey Nancy, what exactly did Brad do wrong? He went out to a club with girls. Yes they are girls who pose naked on a website, but that's not what they were doing there. Also, Brad writes for that site, so really, he was essentially out with some co-workers.

Very honestly, his wife would have to have some pretty serious insecurities to be worried about that. I have a few friends on Suicide Girls as well. My girlfriend and I enjoy hanging out with them. Not engaging in debaucherous orgies; hanging out. They're just normal people.